Taranaki angiography suite officially opened

Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman

Minister of Health

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman has today opened a new $3.6 million angiography suite at Taranaki Base Hospital in New Plymouth.

“Heart disease is the biggest killer of men and women over 40, but early diagnosis and treatment can make a huge difference,” says Dr Coleman.

“Of the 118,000 people in Taranaki, 41 per cent are at risk of cardiovascular disease, and that figure is growing due to an ageing population.

“This new suite means patients will be able to receive care closer to home and in many cases will no longer have to travel to Waikato for diagnostic services.

“The suite includes a new angiography machine, which takes an x-ray to visualise the inside of blood vessels. The purpose-built facility will also offer endoscopic services, interventional radiology, and epidural pain injections.”

Taranaki DHB has invested $1.2 million in the refurbishment, with a further $2.4 million coming from the Taranaki Health Foundation’s community campaign and Taranaki Electricity Trust.

The new angiography suite is the latest redevelopment for Taranaki Base Hospital. In 2014, the DHB completed an $80 million redevelopment of the hospital, which included a new four storey acute services building with six new operating theatres, an endoscopy suite, and 150 inpatient beds.

Taranaki DHB is receiving an extra $9 million in new money this year, taking the DHB’s total funding to $363 million for 2016/17. That’s an extra $81 million in funding over the past eight years.

“The new angiography suite is a great addition to the redeveloped Taranaki Base Hospital, and it puts the DHB in a good position to meet the region’s future health needs,” says Dr Coleman.